Love Your Shape: How To Feed and Flatter Your Body Shape

First of all, I want to say that we all have different body shapes. Every body is different and every body is beautiful. A healthy body does not correlate with shape. And absolutely no body shaming is allowed around me. Many of us have dealt with or are dealing with body image issues. I want every woman that reads this to know that she is beautiful, and that being critical of your own body image or that of others is not the direction we want to go. Beauty comes in all shapes.

 Pear

 Pear shapes have more weight below the waist. Your neck and shoulders are smaller than your hips.

 What to eat: oatmeal, brown rice, fresh vegetables, sweet potatoes. Stop the dairy desserts. Try dried fruits for a snack.

 What to wear: layers, a lines, wide hem pants and skirts, thigh and hip slimming pants, styles that accentuate the neck

 Layered Cardigan and Skinny Jeans

 Apple

 Apple shaped women often have large busts and midsection and broad shoulders.

 What to eat: blueberries, nuts, cheeses, chicken and fish, spinach, seafood. Cut out the caffeine. Try Greek yogurt as a snack.

 What to wear: styles that emphasize the bust, blouses with empire waists (cinch under the bustline) and flare out to the waist, wide leg pants, and bias cut skirts.

 Braided Paisley Top and Flare-Leg Jean

 Hourglass

 Hourglass shapes have curvy bust and hips with a smaller waist.

 What to eat: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein. Quit the carbs. Try nuts as a snack.

 What to wear: pencil skirts, boot cut jeans, fitted silhouettes that accentuate the waist.

 Fit and Flare Dress

 Rectangle

 The rectangle body shape has a straight torso; typically small bust and no defined waist.

 What to eat: eggs, fish, chickens, beans. Control the calorie count. Try whole grain crackers as a snack for an energy boost.

 What to wear: styles with drape, volume on either the top or the bottom (not both)

 Leopard Print Blouse and Skinny Jeans

Not sure what your size is? Download the Avon Fit Guide!

130 Years of Beauty and Empowerment

Avon is celebrating 130 years! In 1886, a book seller, David McConnell, recognized that women wanted financial independence, and leveraged their passion for beauty and love of networking. 

Check out Beauty For A Purpose for more information about Avon's history:

Beauty For A Purpose Celebrates 130 Years Of Avon

• From 1886 To 2016: An Inside Look At Avon’s Commitment To Research & Development
• #TBT: 5 Important Life Lessons From Avon Founder David McConnell
• #TBT: 5 Essential Business Lessons From Avon’s Very First Representative
• #TBT: A Look Back At 130 Years Of Avon’s Iconic Advertisements
• #TBT: Avon Celebrates 130 Years Of Iconic Color
• #TBT: A Look Back At The Rich History Of Fragrance At Avon
• #TBT: The Hundred-Year Evolution Of Lipstick At Avon

The Hagley Museum has Avon's full history: http://bit.ly/1Qg9HlC

130 years later, Avon is still working to empower women, help them work toward financial independence, and offering innovative beauty products to women around the world.

If I were a woman in 1886, I would want to become one of David McConnell's beauty representatives. The first representative was a woman from New Hampshire named Mrs. Albee.

Today, in 2016, I am a proud ‪#‎avonrep‬ working on my mission: help women find individual beauty, educate women wanting to create a beauty business, and fight domestic violence.

About My #tbt Selfie

I started taking brochure selfies last year, starting with campaign 18, and sharing on social with the #brochureselfie hashtag. This campaign, in honor of Avon's 130 year anniversary, I decided to go Victorian! This outfit is something that women in 1886 might have worn!

I originally created this look in 2009, when my husband and I attended a Dickens faire in Galveston, Texas. The entire outfit: a period cotton bustle, a cotton skirt with knife pleating and lace accents at the hem. A silk floral print overskirt. A period style corset. A velvet coat with hand sewn rosettes, cream lace sleeves and pearl buttons (the garment visible here). The hat, which was hand pleated and stitched and then accented with feathers and an owl cameo. I also created an men's outfit, including period trousers and waistcoat and matching vest. 

Campaign 6 is a special edition brochure celebrating 130 years of beauty and empowerment.

3 Fall/Winter Fashion Trends From NYFW 2016

From glitter face (Maybelline’s Blade Runner inspiration) to stylized eyeliner (Altuzarra, Tom Pecheuz), to Lady Gaga's newsworthy dark outline eyes and goth lips (Marc Jacobs, Francois Nars). New York Fashion Week has had some curious moments, but the overall makeup look for fall seems to be au natural. Yep, despite the bold strokes, the natural look isn't going anywhere!

I looked at the runways of some of my favorite designers for a hint at the direction F/W 2016 fashion trends are heading.

I saw quite a bit of structure, neutrals, and color blocking. Natural colors, polished looks and tailoring with pleating and quilting are looks that aren't going anywhere. Calvin Klein had several looks with suspended gemstones that I thought was very special. There was patchwork in more than just a few places.

Global prints dominated a few designer shows, especially my favorite, Deƨigual who had gorgeous floral ethnic prints, warm cozy knits, globally inspired patterns and accessories to die
for – hats, boots, bags, I want one of everything from this designer!

Desigual | source: nyfw.com

I identified 3 specific things that looked like would be Fall/Winter 2016 trends:

Long coats

I think designers are predicting a cold winter because floor duster coats were everywhere. I personally love the idea of being fully enveloped in a long coat to keep me warm!

BCBG Max Azria | source: nyfw.com

BCBG Max Azria | source: nyfw.com

Desigual | source: nyfw.com

Desigual | source: nyfw.com

Monique Lhuillier | source: nyfw.com

Tory Burch | source: nyfw.com

Zimmerman | source: nyfw.com

Full lace

Dresses, mostly. With the entire garment made from lace. I'm already shopping for my fall lace dress!

Anna Sui | source: nyfw.com

Carolina Herrera | source: nyfw.com

Marchesa | source: nyfw.com

Oscar de la Renta | source: nyfw.com

Reem Acra | source: nyfw.com

1960s mod

I saw several 60s inspired cuts and colors, with a decidely modern twist. After all, we don't want to go totally retro.

Anna Sui | source: nyfw.com

Anna Sui | source: nyfw.com

Anna Sui | source: nyfw.com

Jeremy Scott | source: nyfw.com

Jeremy Scott | source: nyfw.com

All About Eyeliner: 4 Types and 4 Tips

Eyeliner is used to outline and define the eyes. It can help create a soft, smudgy look or a bold, dramatic look and it can change the allusion of eye shape.

4 Types of Eyeliner

Pencil

Pencil eyeliners are fast and less expensive so they are great for everyday. The point does have to be sharpened frequently, but pencils create a softer look. To apply, draw little sections at a time and fill in the line. Rather than applying one long stroke, go back and forth to define the line.

Liquid

Liquid eyeliners have high pigmentation and can create a super precise line. Liquid is great for creating the trendy winged/cat’s eye liner look, but it takes a super steady hand and practice. To apply, steady your hand the best you can by resting your elbow against a solid surface or resting your hand against your chin as you draw the line. Starting at the inner corner or midway, drag the brush along your lash line in short strokes, continuing along and going back over the line as needed.

Kohl

Kohl eyeliners are thicker, softer pencil eyeliners and often come with a rubber tip to smudge and soften even more. To create thick, dark lines for that smudgy or smoky look, apply the kohl eyeliner along the lash lines. The great thing is you don’t have to be super precise because the eyeliner will be softened out Next, blend the color out with the blending tool, or even a qtip. I’ve even used my fingers to soften and smudge kohl eyeliner.

Gel

Gel eyeliner usually comes in a little paint pot and is applied with a separate brush. The beauty of gel is that you can really control application, it is soft and often a more waterproof formula. The brush can give you very precise control on application.

4 Tips for Eyeliner

Dried product

Liquid and gel eyeliners, and mascaras, that have dried out can easily be revived by adding a drop or two of eyedrops and mixing well.

Lower line

So many MUAs say not to make the bottom lash line too dark with eyeliner. Personally, I think a dark lower line can be used to make certain looks work. The concern is that eyeliner on the bottom lid smudges more easily, so avoid touching your face or eyes!

Uneven line

Liner sometimes ends up all crooked and uneven, or on the brow, or nose, or… yeah, it can be hard to control. Don’t pull your eyelid to make skin taut, as that actually makes the line askew. Draw from the outside in, so inner to middle and then outer to middle. Use short strokes that combine to make one smooth even line. Finally, rest your elbow and/or your hand against something to steady your hand as you apply the liner.

Prime

Eye primer used to help eyeshadow stick will also help eyeliner stick. Primer can also be a good color tool, so if you are shooting for bold contrast, the primer should help develop that contrast as well.

Are Your Eyebrows On Fleek?

Are Your Eyebrows On Fleek?

Do they even need to be? And what the heck is “fleek” anyway?

I’ve got to be honest, I’ve never much worried about my brows. They are naturally full, so for awhile there, I was way off trend anyway. Now full, lined, trimmed brows are in, so a little taming for me goes a long way.

But is it necessary to bring your brow game, or get those hairs on point? I’m not sure. There are so many different ways to brow: brush, fill in, draw on, line and define. Can’t brows just be brows?

By the way, fleek originally came from a Vine by Peaches Monroe in the summer of 2014, and whoo boy did it go viral on social media. And how. That fall, Kim Kardashian came in with the #eyebrowsonfleek hashtag, Cara Delevingne is in there somewhere, and, well, there ya go. Weird thing is, fleek isn’t even a real word. Or it wasn’t. It’s been added as a slang adjective, meaning flawlessly styled or groomed, and got a nomination for 2015 Word of the Year. Go you, fleek.

So what do you need to slay those eyebrows?

The path to fleek really depends on what your natural brows look like. Are they barely there or full of hair? Unibrows clearly need some assistance, all trends aside. Thin or wide, all kidding aside, brows are personal. My personal fave belong to Amanda Palmer, who shaves then draws in her abstract eyebrow.

The best I can tell, the “on fleek” eyebrow is characterized by a defined line on the bottom, a few wispy strands on the edge near the eye, a gorgeous arch about ¾ of the way back, a clearly defined end point, and all of those eyebrow hairs combed perfectly up and out. Gosh, that’s complicated. No wonder it’s so hard to achieve.

What should you be equipped with to handle this arduous task?

• Eyebrow clippers
• Eyebrow wax
• Eyebrow color
• Eyebrow brush
• Eyebrow tweezer
• I just can’t even.

May You Reach Your Dream

Yesterday morning, I felt fine. Long story short, sparing the details, in the middle of the day I collapsed in public. At least it was in front of adults and not kids. (I teach.) But there is nothing more embarrassing than collapsing in public, let me tell you.

As I was being transported to the ER, I started thinking about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. (Doesn't everyone think about Maslow while in an ambulance?)

Beauty, as you can tell, is at the top of the pyramid of needs, with esteem and self-actualization. And when you are struggling with meeting things at the bottom of the pyramid, like physiological needs and safety (including my body health issue), that need for beauty certainly takes a backseat.

It's a curious thing, how it all works. How we as humans need food and employment and friendship and confidence before we can reach that coveted self-actualization. It sort of connects to the idea of "no excuses". Can we make eternal excuses and never reach self-actualization? Absolutely! On the other hand, at some point we just have to convince ourselves that our lower tiers of needs are satisfied *enough* and that we can, in fact, reach the higher tiers, even though we have some issues to overcome.

Many people I know have health issues.

They all continue reaching for their dreams.

So, was Maslow wrong? Can we reach for self-actualization when we are hungry all the time? I don't know the answer to that. But I do know that we just have to keep moving forward, because backward is just not an option.

 

My love to everyone who works through their adversity to reach for their dream.